Waist supported structure with attachment band

ABSTRACT

A waist supported structure for mounting a tool carrier to carry tools at the waist of a wearer is provided that includes an upper portion having an outwardly directed surface adjacent the waist of a wearer. At least one band portion is attached at its opposite ends to the outwardly directed surface, wherein the band is substantially parallel to and facing the outwardly directed surface to define a slot therebetween. A tool carrier extends through the slot and is releasably attached to the at least one band portion.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a waist supported structurehaving at least one band for attachment of a tool carrier, and moreparticularly, in one embodiment, to a waist supported structure havingfirst and second thigh protectors to be worn by steel workers engaged inthe task of moving elongate pieces of reinforcing material, such assteel rebar, and depositing these pieces of reinforcing material atvarious locations on a construction site.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Many waist supported structures exist that are adapted forattachment of tool carriers. For example, police belts, military beltsand construction utility belts include attachment means such as eyelets,hooks, and/or pockets for the attachment of tools or tool carriers.However, these attachment means often cause the belt to torque or sagfrom the wearer's waist when a heavy tool is attached to them.Accordingly, an improved waist supported structure is needed for theattachment of tool carriers.

[0003] A need also exists for a waist supported structure that protectsa wearer's thigh from injury at construction sites. For example, theconstruction of roads, bridges and buildings are tasks that are verylabor intensive. While heavy construction equipment is used to move somestructural components, a tremendous amount of the movement andpositioning of structural components of the road, bridge or building aremoved by hand. Rebar rods are construction materials that are used inalmost all large structures. Rebar rods are composed of long steel rods,typically between ½ to 4 inches in diameter, that are positioned inconcrete to provide reinforcement and additional strength to astructure. Typically, rebar is delivered to a central location on aconstruction site by trucks. However, as the rebar is likely to have tobe distributed at many different locations on the construction site,individuals, often referred to as rodmen, pick up bundles of rebar andcarry them to locations where individual rebar rods are to be installed.

[0004] Generally, a rodman picks up a bundle of rebar and carries it onhis shoulder (FIG. 8) or suitcase-style at his waist-side to aparticular location where one or more pieces of rebar are to beinstalled. Each piece of rebar in a bundle is typically between ½ to 4inches in diameter and up to 40 or 50 feet long. Hence, each individualrebar rod can be quite heavy, making the transportation of a bundle ofrebar a particularly difficult task. Moreover, it is also difficult topull a single rebar rod out of the bundle of rebar rods and place it ata particular location on the construction site.

[0005] When the rodman arrives at the location that is to receive asingle rebar rod, the rodman places one foot forward and crouches at theknees so one of his upper thighs is outwardly extended in a positionthat is approximately parallel to the ground (FIG. 9). The rodman thenlifts the bundle of rods off of his shoulder or from the side of hiswaist and onto this outwardly extended thigh (FIG. 10). Subsequently, asingle rod of rebar is shaken out of the bundle and released by therodman so that it slides off of the rodman's thigh and lands on theground in front of him (FIG. 11). Alternatively, the rodman can drop aspecific number of rebar rods at a particular location. After the rodmanhas released the desired number of rebar rods at one particular locationon the construction site, he returns the bundle to his shoulder andmoves to another location on the construction site.

[0006] One difficulty that is encountered by rodmen during this processis the rods are so heavy that, when the bundle of rebar is dropped ontoone of the thighs of the rodman, injuries can result. In fact, ofteneach bundle of rebar rods that a rodman carries weighs several hundredpounds. As such, dropping the bundle on the rodman's thigh can result ina bruising of the rodman's thigh. Moreover, the rebar can have razorsharp edges, which can cause cuts and puncture wounds in the rodman'sthigh. Further, when the single rebar rod is shaken out of the bundle,the single rod generally slides along the rodman's thigh and then dropstoward the ground after it slides over the rodman's knee. Again, eachindividual rod can be so heavy that this sliding motion can furtherresult in injuries to the rodman. Moreover, the dropping of the bundleof rods onto the rodman's thighs and the sliding of a single rod off ofthe rodman's thigh generally results in extensive wear and tear to therodman's clothing.

[0007] Hence from the foregoing, there is a need for a protective devicethat can be worn by a rodman during the process of transporting anddropping bundles of rebar that provides greater protection for therodman.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,775 to Garcia discloses a thigh protector tobe worn by a rodman during the transport of rebar rods on a constructionsite. However, the disclosed thigh protector protects only a singlethigh.

[0009] Other protective devices for use in applications outside of theconstruction field exist that protect both of a wearer's legs. Forexample, cowboys have often worn chaps with leather coverings thatextend essentially along the entire length of the wearer's leg. However,chaps are designed to protect the full length of the wearer's legs andclothing from scrapes and cuts caused by bushes and the like when ridinga horse through rough terrain. As chaps are designed to be worngenerally while sitting, they are typically very encumbering whenwalking. Consequently, this type of protective clothing is not wellsuited for use by rodmen who must be generally unencumbered to performtheir other job duties.

[0010] Sporting manufacturers have developed protective pads thatprotect the thighs of athletes. For example, football players often wearpants that have pads inserted therein which are designed to reduce thighinjuries. However, these types of protective pads have generally notbeen adapted for use by construction workers and, in particular, rodmen.

[0011] Moreover, the longstanding custom in the construction field isthat construction workers generally wear heavy-duty pants that allow forunencumbered movement of the wearer's legs, such as jeans. This customis the result of the construction workers, and in particular rodmen,being required to do a variety of tasks other than carrying heavybundles of rebar. These other tasks require that the rodmen be generallyunencumbered and able to easily move about tight spaces on theconstruction site. Unfortunately, there has been little effort on thepart of the construction industries to adapt protection for use byrodmen that protects the rodmen from injuries resulting from movinglarge bundles of rebar, while still allowing the rodmen to perform othertasks in an unencumbered fashion.

[0012] Hence, there is a continued need for a waist supported structurethat is specifically adapted for use by rodmen, that provides protectionagainst injury, and yet does not inhibit walking or movement of therodmen during the performance of their other job duties. To this end,the protective device should be relatively lightweight, form fitting,and able to absorb and distribute the weight of a bundle of rebar whenthe bundle of rebar is deposited onto a rodman's thigh.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] In one embodiment, the present invention is a waist supportedstructure for mounting a tool carrier to carry tools at the waist of awearer that includes an upper portion having an outwardly directedsurface adjacent the waist of a wearer. At least one band portion isattached at its opposite ends to the outwardly directed surface, whereinthe band is substantially parallel to and facing the outwardly directedsurface to define a slot therebetween. A tool carrier extends throughthe slot and is releasably attached to the at least one band portion.

[0014] In another embodiment, the present invention further includes afirst thigh protector and a second thigh protector that each form aportion of the outwardly directed surface, wherein each thigh protectorextends from the wearer's waist to a position just above the wearer'sknee. An attachment mechanism is coupled to each thigh protector toretain each thigh protector in front of a corresponding one of thewearer's thighs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] These and other features and advantages of the present inventionwill be better understood by reference to the following detaileddescription when considered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

[0016]FIG. 1 is a front view of a waist supported structure according toone embodiment of the invention being worn by a rodman;

[0017]FIG. 2 is front view of the waist supported structure of FIG. 1unattached from the rodman;

[0018]FIG. 3 is a back view of the waist supported structure of FIG. 1;

[0019]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the waistsupported structure of FIG. 1;

[0020]FIG. 5 is a side view of the waist supported structure of FIG. 1being worn by a rodman;

[0021]FIG. 6 is a back view of the waist supported structure of FIG. 1being worn by a rodman;

[0022]FIG. 7 is a front exploded perspective view of a band that isattached to the waist supported structure of FIG. 1 for attachment of atool carrier;

[0023]FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of a tool carrier that isremovably attached to the band of the waist supported structure of FIG.1;

[0024]FIG. 8A is a front perspective view of a tool carrier that isattached to the band of the waist supported structure of FIG. 1, where aportion of the waist supported structure has been removed for clarity;

[0025]FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of another tool carrier that isremovably attached to the band of the waist supported structure of FIG.1 as well as an exemplary tool that is carried by this tool carrier;

[0026]FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating how a rodman carries abundle of rebar on his shoulder while wearing the waist supportedstructure of FIG. 1;

[0027]FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating the posture of a rodmanas the rodman prepares to lower the bundle of rebar from his shoulderonto his thigh when wearing the waist supported structure of FIG. 1;

[0028]FIG. 12 is a schematic view illustrating a rodman supporting abundle of rebar on his thigh when wearing the waist supported structureof FIG. 1; and

[0029]FIG. 13 is a schematic view illustrating how a rodman removes asingle rod from a bundle of rebar that is being supported on his thighand deposits it to the ground.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Embodiments of the current invention relate to a waist supportedstructure 100 for carrying tools at the waist of a wearer 101, such as arodman. As shown in FIG. 1, the waist supported structure 100 includesan upper portion 102 having an outwardly directed surface 103 adjacentthe waist of a wearer 101 and at least one band portion 104 attached atits opposite ends to the outwardly directed surface 103. The attachmentof the band 104 to the outwardly directed surface 103 forms a slot 106.The band 104 is tightly attached to the outwardly directed surface 103such that even when the band 104 is pulled in a direction away from theoutwardly directed surface 103, the band 104 is substantially parallelto and facing the outwardly directed surface 103. The slot 106 allowsfor a tool carrier 108, such as the exemplary tool carriers 108A and108B of FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively, to be removably attached to theband 104.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the waist supported structure 100 mayadditionally include a first thigh protector 110A and a second thighprotector 110B, each of which extend from the waist of the wearer 101 toa position just above the knee 113 of the wearer 101.

[0032] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the waist supported structure 100includes at least one band 104 attached at its opposite ends to an outersurface 114 of the upper portion 102 of the waist supported structure100. The band 104 may be attached to the waist supported structure 100,for example, by rivets 151. The attachment of the band 104 to the waistsupported structure 100 forms the slot 106 for receiving the toolcarrier 108, such as the exemplary tool carriers 108A and 108B of FIGS.8 and 9, respectively. Each tool carrier 108 may be removably attachedto the band 104 as illustrated in FIG. 8 and as described in detailbelow. The band 104 is tightly attached to the waist supported structure100 such that even when the band 104 is pulled in a direction away fromthe outer surface 114 of the waist supported structure 100, the band 104is substantially parallel to and facing the outer surface 114 of thewaist supported structure 100. As a result, the tool carrier 108 that isattached to the band 104 is tightly held thereon.

[0033]FIG. 7 shows an exemplary embodiment of the band 104. In thisembodiment, the band 104 is composed of a flexible material 174, such asleather. As shown, the band 104 may include a reinforcing material 176that is attached to a back surface of the flexible material 174 to addstability to the band 104. The reinforcing material 176 of the band 104is preferably attached to the flexible material 174 of the band 104 bystitching and/or rivets.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, by laterally spacing rivets 151 about thelength of a single band 104, multiple slots 106 can be formed in asingle band, such that separate tool carriers 108 can be inserted intoeach formed slot 106. As is also shown in FIG. 2, the waist supportedstructure 100 may include at least one belt loop 178 attached to theupper portion 102 of the waist supported structure 100, for example, byrivets 124. In the depicted embodiment, the belt loop 178 is attached tothe outer surface 114 of one of the hip protecting portions 162. Thebelt loop 178 defines a slit 180 between the outer surface 114A of thehip protecting portion 162 and an inner surface of the belt loop 178. Assuch, when the belt portion 166 of the waist supported structure 100 isattached to the buckle portion 168 of the waist supported structure 100,an end portion 182 of the belt 166 can be inserted into the slit 178 tosecure the end portion 182 of the belt 166 between the outer surface 114of the hip protecting portion 162 and an inner surface of the belt loop178.

[0035] As shown, the belt loop 178 can also serve to further secure theat least one band 104 to the waist supported structure 100. For example,in the depicted embodiment prior to attaching the band 104 to the waistsupported structure 100, the band is threaded through openings 161 inthe belt loop 178. Rivets 151 are then inserted through the belt loop178 and the band 104 to secure both the belt loop 178 and the band 104to the waist supported structure 100.

[0036]FIG. 8 shows an exemplary tool carrier 108A being attached to theband 104. Preferably, the tool carrier 108A is composed of a flexiblematerial, such as leather. The tool carrier 108A includes a main portion186 and an upper portion 190. The main portion 186 may carry any one ofa variety of tool carrying means 188. In the depicted embodiment, thetool carrying means 188 includes pockets of various sizes that aresecured to the main portion 186 by rivets 185. Some of the pocketsadditionally contain clamps. The pockets and clamps may be used to carryany one of a variety of tools, such as side-cutters, chalk, or sticksamong other appropriate tools. In other embodiments, the tool carryingmeans 188 include pockets, clamps, eyelets, hooks, straps or anycombination thereof, among other appropriate tool carrying means.

[0037] The tool carrier 108A may be removably attached to the band 104.For example, in one embodiment an outwardly facing flap 192 is coupledto the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A. Preferably, the flap192 is composed of a flexible material such as leather. The flap 192 maybe attached to the upper portion 190 in a manner that allows the flap192 to be rotated away from the upper portion as shown in FIG. 8.Preferably, an upper end 192A of the flap 192 is rigidly affixed to atop marginal portion 190A of the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier108A, forming a rigidly attached juncture 220 between the upper portion190 of the tool carrier 108A and the flap 192; and a lower end 192B ofthe flap 192 contains a coupling means 196 that forms a releasableinterlocking connection with a coupling means 198 on a bottom marginalportion 190B of the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A. Forexample, the rigidly attached juncture 220 of the upper portion 190 ofthe tool carrier 108A and the flap 192 may be formed by stitching 194Aand/or rivets 194B, and the releasable interlocking connection may beformed by buttons 196 on the flap 192 that snap fit onto correspondingbutton receiving members 198 on the upper portion 190 of the toolcarrier 108A.

[0038] As such, in one embodiment, the tool carrier 108A is releasablyattached to the band 104 by inserting the tool carrier 108A into theslot 106 formed by the band 104 and the outer surface 114 of the waistsupported structure 100 (see FIGS. 8-8A); rotating the flap 192 awayfrom the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A to allow the band104 to be positioned adjacent to the rigidly attached juncture 220between the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A and the flap 192;extending the flap 192 over the band 104; and depressing the buttons 196of the lower portion 192B of the flap 192 to from the releasableinterlocking connection with the button receiving members 198 of theupper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A.

[0039] When so connected, the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108Ais disposed adjacent to an inner surface of the band 104, and the flap192 is disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the band 104, such thatthe band 104 is confined between the upper portion 190 of the toolcarrier 108A and the flap 192. In addition, a top edge of the band 104is disposed adjacent to the rigidly attached juncture 220 of the upperportion 190 of the tool carrier 108A and the flap 192, and a bottom edgeof the band 104 is disposed adjacent to the interlocking connectionbetween the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A and the flap 192,such that the band 104 is also confined between the rigidly attachedjuncture 220 and the releasable interlocking connection of the upperportion 190 of the tool carrier 108A and the flap 192. In this position,the band 104 presses against the outer surface of the upper portion 190of the tool carrier 108A to secure the tool carrier 108A to the waistsupported structure 100. The flap 192 and/or the upper portion 190 ofthe tool carrier 108A may include a reinforcing material, such asplastic, to increase the structural stability of the tool carrier 108A.

[0040]FIG. 9 shows a tool carrier 108B, similar to the tool carrier 108Ashown in FIGS. 8-8A. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 9, the flap192 is shown in a closed position for clarity. The depicted tool carrier108B contains an elongated tool carrying means 188A designed to carry aspecialized tool 210, such as a wire spool. The tool 210 includes a pairof brackets 212 that extend from a rear surface of the tool 210 anddefine a pair of loops 211. The brackets 212 and corresponding loops 211are substantially parallel and aligned along a bracket axis 214. Theelongated tool carrying means 188 engages the brackets 212 through theloops 211 to releasably secure the tool 210 to the tool carrier 108B.

[0041] The elongated tool carrying means 188 may be attached to the mainportion 186 of the tool carrier 108B by rivets and/or stitching. In oneembodiment, the elongated tool carrying means 188 is attached to themain portion 186 of the tool carrier 108B at an inclined position withrespect to a horizontal axis 218 of the tool carrier 108B. As such, whenthe brackets 212 are attached to the elongated tool carrying means 188,the bracket axis is also disposed at an inclined position with respectto the horizontal axis 218 of the tool carrier 108B, such that one ofthe brackets 212 is disposed at a higher position than the other of thebrackets 212. In one embodiment, the elongated tool carrying means 188is attached to the main portion 186 of the tool carrier 108B at aninclined position of approximately 45° with respect to the horizontalaxis 218 of the tool carrier 108B, such that when the brackets 212 areattached to the elongated tool carrying means 188, the bracket axis 214is also disposed at an inclined position of approximately 45° withrespect to the horizontal axis 218 of the tool carrier 108B. Theinclined positioning of elongated tool carrying means 188 and thebracket axis 214 reduces a rocking motion of the tool 210 with respectto the tool carrier 108B caused by movements of the wearer, such aswalking.

[0042] In the depicted embodiment, the elongated tool carrying means 188includes a belt 204 that is secured to the main portion 186 by a seriesof belt loops 208 and rivets 206. The belt 204 may be threaded throughthe loops 211 of the brackets 212 to confine the brackets 212 between anouter surface of the main portion 186 of the tool carrier 108B and aninner surface of the belt 204 to releasably secure the tool 210 to thetool carrier 108B. In other embodiments, the elongated tool carryingmeans 188 may include clamps, eyelets, hooks, straps or any combinationthereof, among other appropriate tool carrying means.

[0043]FIG. 2 shows an outer surface 114 of the waist supported structure100. As shown, the first thigh protector 110A includes a first shieldmember 116A and a first reinforcing member 118A. Similarly, the secondthigh protector 110B includes a second shield member 116B and a secondreinforcing member 118B. The thigh protectors 110 are connected at aninterconnecting section 120. For example, in one embodiment the thighprotectors 110 are formed as mirror images of each other. In thisembodiment, each thigh protector 110 includes a laterally extendingconnecting portion 122 (see FIG. 4 for clarity), such that when thethigh protectors 110 are connected, the connecting portions 122 of eachthigh protector 110 overlap at the interconnecting section 120. In oneembodiment, the thigh protectors 110 are connected by a series of rivets124. In addition, or in the alternative, the thigh protectors 110 may beconnected by stitching. In another embodiment, the thigh protectors 110may be integrally formed.

[0044]FIG. 3 shows an inner surface 126 of the waist supported structure100. As shown, each reinforcing member 118 is attached to itscorresponding shield member 116 on the inner surface 126 of the waistsupported structure 100, such that when worn each reinforcing member 118is disposed between its corresponding shield member 116 and one of thewearer's thighs.

[0045] Preferably, each shield member 116 is composed of a planer pieceof flexible material, such as leather, and is sized and shaped to coverone of the wearer's legs from the wearer's waist to a position justabove the wearer's knee 114. Each reinforcing member 118 is preferablyformed out of a rigid material, such as plastic, so that when the wearerplaces a bundle of rebar rods 128 (FIG. 10) on the outer surface 114 ofeither one of the shield members 116, the weight of the rebar rods issupported, absorbed and distributed by the underlying reinforcing member118 so as to reduce the possibility of the wearer's thigh being bruised,pinched, cut or otherwise damaged by the weight or sharp ridges of therebar rods.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment, each shield member 116 is formed usinga piece of leather that is generally 21 inches long by 18 inches wideand having a thickness in the range of 5 to 9 ounces and, morepreferably, an average thickness of 5 to 5½ ounces. Also in a preferredembodiment, the reinforcing members 118 are made of a ballistic qualitypolycarbonate material that is approximately {fraction (1/16)} inch inthickness. The length of each reinforcing member 118 is preferably sizedso as to extend substantially across the entire lateral dimension of itscorresponding shield member 116.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 1, the first thigh protector 110 covers a firstthigh of the wearer 101 and the second thigh protector 112 covers asecond thigh of the wearer 101. As such, the wearer 101 can support abundle of rebar rods on either of the wearer's thighs since each of thewearer's thighs are protected by a shield member 116 and its underlyingreinforcing members 118.

[0048] For clarity, FIG. 4 shows a front view of only one of the thighprotectors 110. However, the components shown in FIG. 4 and describedimmediately below apply to both the first thigh protector 110A and thesecond thigh protector 110B. As shown, a first elastic strap 130A isattached to a first end 132A of each reinforcing member 118 and a secondelastic strap 130B is attached to a second end 132B of each reinforcingmember 118. A buckle mechanism 134 is attached to the elastic straps 130to allow the wearer to secure each thigh protector 110 around one of thewearer's thighs. Preferably, the straps 130 are positioned on eachreinforcing member 118 such that when the waist supported structure 100is worn, each thigh protector 110 covers the front of one of thewearer's thighs and the straps 130 wrap around the back of the wearer'sthighs following the interface between the back of the wearer's thighand the wearer's buttocks and the interface between the inside of thewearer's thigh and the wearer's crotch. This positioning of the strapallows the strap to remain stationary during movements of the wearer,such as during walking, which results in a device that does not encumberor otherwise hinder the freedom of movement of the wearer.

[0049] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the buckle mechanism 134 includes amale buckle member 136 that is attached to the first elastic strap 130Aand a female buckle member 138 that is attached to the second elasticstrap 130B. The female buckle member 138 and the male buckle member 136are preferably formed of a plastic material. The male buckle member 136includes a plurality of teeth 140 including outer teeth 142 that areelastic so that the outer teeth 142 can be compressed into an opening139 of the female buckle member 138 and spring outwardly when the outerteeth 142 are positioned within openings 144 in the female buckle member138. When the outer teeth 142 are positioned within the openings 144 inthe female buckle member 138 the buckle members 136 and 138 form asecure interlocking connection. To disengage the interlocking connectionof the buckle members 136 and 138, the wearer simply depresses the outerteeth 142 of the male buckle member 136 away from the openings 144 inthe female buckle member 138 and pulls the buckle members 136 and 138apart.

[0050] The tension of the elastic straps 130 can be adjusted by thewearer by pulling on a tail end 146 of the first elastic strap 130A. Aleather extension 148 may be attached to the tail end 146 of the firstelastic strap 130A to facilitate grasping the first elastic strap 130A.By adjusting the tension of the elastic straps 130, the reinforcingmembers 118 can be pulled closer too or loosened from the wearer's thighwhen the waist supported structure 100 is worn.

[0051] Preferably, the material of the elastic straps 130A and 130Bincludes a 2-inch wide heavy duty elastic material. Consequently, it isa generally dense, relatively stiff, elastic material such as an 8-10ounce density elastic strap. The strap 130A that is attached to the malebuckle member 136 is preferably longer than the strap 130B that isattached to the female buckle member 138. For example, in one embodimentthe strap 130A that is attached to the male buckle member 136 isapproximately 12 inches in length and the strap 130B that is attached tothe female buckle member 138 is approximately 7 inches in length. Theincreased length of the strap 130A that is attached to the male bucklemember 136 facilitates an adjustment of the buckle mechanism 134. Asshown in FIG. 6, it is preferred that the tail end 146 of the firstelastic strap 130A of each thigh protector 110 be positioned on theouter side of the wearer's leg. This facilitates an adjustment of thestrap 130A since the wearer can easily reach the tail end 140 by merelylowering his hand to his side to grasp the tail end 140 of the strap130.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4 (as well as FIGS. 2 and 3), each reinforcingmember 118 and its corresponding elastic straps 130 are attached to theouter edges 150A and 150B of a corresponding one of the shield members116 via rivets 124 that extend through openings 152 in the shield member116, openings 154 in the elastic straps 130 and openings 156 in thereinforcing member 118. Preferably each elastic strap 130 is disposedbetween its corresponding reinforcing member 118 and the inner surface126 of its corresponding shield member 116.

[0053] In addition, as shown for example in FIGS. 2 and 3, eachreinforcing member 118 may be attached to its corresponding shieldmember 116 such that the reinforcing member 118 is positioned higher onthe wearer's outer leg than on the wearer's inner leg. This positioningfacilitates transferring rebar rods from the wearer's shoulder to thewearer's thigh and also facilitates transferring rebar rods from thewearer's side to the wearer's thigh. As also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,each reinforcing member 118 includes an lower section 160 that extendsalong the wearer's thigh in a direction toward the wearer's knee. Assuch, when one or more rebar rods slide along and eventually off of thewearer's thigh, the lower section 160 of the reinforcing member 118supports the rebar rods 128, thereby further preventing injury to thewearer's thigh.

[0054] To further provide comfort to the wearer, each reinforcing member118 may include a soft compressible material, such as a foam padding,that is attached to an inner surface of the reinforcing member 118 suchthat when the waist supported structure 100 is worn, the compressiblematerial is disposed between the reinforcing member 118 and the wearer'sthigh.

[0055] Preferably, each reinforcing member 118 is positioned on itscorresponding shield member 116 such that when the waist supportedstructure 100 is worn by the average wearer each reinforcing member 118is positioned adjacent the interface between the wearer's thigh and thewearer's groin. This location is the preferred location to place abundle of rebar rods as it places less stress on the wearer's joints. Assuch, this location is also the preferred location for the reinforcingmembers 118.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 4, each reinforcing member 118 is preferablyformed in a curved shaped so as to fit the contours of the wearer'sthigh. The combination of the curvature of the reinforcing members 118and the elastic straps 130 keeps each shield member 116 centered on thefront of the wearer's thigh during subsequent movements by the wearer.In one embodiment, each reinforcing member 118 is approximately 7 incheswide by 10 ¼ inches long and is curved so that the first and secondedges 132A and 132B are approximately 6½ inches apart. The separationbetween the first and second ends 132A and 132B of each reinforcingmember 118 is selected so as to keep each shield member 116 centeredabout the average wearer's thigh.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 2-3, the upper portion 102 of the waistsupported structure 100 may include laterally extending first and secondhip protecting portions 162A and 162B. For example, in one embodiment ahip protecting portion 162 laterally extends from each thigh protector110. The hip protecting portions 162 wrap around and protect thewearer's hips when a belt portion 166 of the waist supported structure100 is buckled to a buckle portion 168 of the waist supported structure100 as shown, for example, in FIG. 6 and described in detail below.

[0058] As is also shown in FIG. 3, the upper portion 102 of the waistsupported structure 100 may include a padded section 164 composed of asoft compressible material, such as a foam padding, that is attached tothe inner surface 126 of the waist supported structure 100 between theshield members 116 and the wearer's waist. Preferably, the length of thepadded section 162 is sized so as to extend substantially across theentire lateral dimension of the upper portion 102 of the waist supportedstructure 100, from the first hip protecting portion 162A to the secondhip protecting portion 162B.

[0059] The hip protecting portions 162 and the padded section 164protect the wearer's hips from injury, for example when the wearercarries a bundle of rebar rods by his side, suitcase-style. In such aninstance, the wearer is allowed to balance the bars against his hipswithout risking injury to his hips. Moreover, the padded section 164also protects the wearer's groin, waist and hips from injuries caused byheavy objects, such as tools that the wearer carries on an upper portion102 of the waist supported structure 100 as described in detail below.It will be appreciated that the exact positioning and composition of thepadding can vary without departing from the spirit of the presentinvention.

[0060] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the padded section 164 includes afirst padded section 164A attached to the first thigh protector 110A anda second padded section 164B attached to the second thigh protector110B. Alternatively, the padded sections 164 may be integrally formed.In the depicted embodiment, the padded sections 164 are attached to thewaist supported structure 100 by rivets 124. The padded sections 164 maybe alternatively or additionally secured to the waist supportedstructure 100 by stitchings.

[0061] As shown in FIGS. 2-3, a belt portion 166 is attached on one sideof the upper portion 102 of the waist supported structure 100 and acorresponding buckle portion 168 is attached on an opposite side of theupper portion 102 of the waist supported structure 100. For example, inone embodiment, the belt portion 166 is attached to the first hipprotecting portion 162A and the buckle portion 168 is attached to thesecond hip protecting portion 162B. The belt and buckle portions 166 and168 may be wrapped around and buckled behind the wearer's back to form areleasable interlocking connection that secures the waist supportedstructure 100 around the wearer's waist. In one embodiment, the beltportion 166 includes a flexible material 170, such as leather, having apadded backing 172 that is disposed between the flexible material 170and the wearer's back when worn by the wearer. As shown in FIGS. 1-5,the waist supported structure 100 may also include a line of ornamentalstitching 176 that outlines the waist supported structure 100, forexample, at a distance of approximately ¼ of an inch from the outer edgeof the waist supported structure 100.

[0062] The manner in which the wearer wears the waist supportedstructure 100 of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 5 and6. In particular, when the wearer desires to wear the waist supportedstructure 100, the wearer positions the shield members 116 over histhighs, such that the shield members 116 extend from the wearer's waistto the wearer's knee 113, so that the shield members 116 do not coverany joint of the wearer that would otherwise hinder movement of thewearer. The interconnecting section 120 of the waist supported structure100 is positioned generally in front of the wearer's fly and is tapereddownwardly so that if the wearer has a belt buckle 214 attached to hispants, the interconnecting section 120 does not press the belt buckle214 against the wearer's stomach.

[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the wearer can secure the upper portion102 of the waist supported structure 100 to his waist by wrapping thebelt 166 around his back and attaching the belt 166 to the buckle 168.As shown if FIG. 5, when the belt 166 is so attached to the buckle 168,the wearer's hips are covered by the hip protecting portions 162 of thewaist supported structure 100.

[0064] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the wearer can secure each thighprotector 110 to a corresponding thigh by wrapping the straps 130 aroundthe back of his thighs and fastening the buckle mechanism 134. Thewearer can then pull on the tail end 124 of the strap 130 to pull thereinforcing member 118 snugly against the outer surface of the wearer'sfront thigh. The straps 130 are attached to the reinforcing members 118at a location that allows the straps 130 to be positioned immediatelyadjacent the wearer's crotch and immediately underneath the wearer'sbuttocks when buckled around the wearer's thigh. This placement of thestraps 130 results in the straps 130 being unlikely to move as a resultof the wearer walking around while wearing the waist supported structure100.

[0065] Hence, the waist supported structure 100 can be positioned so asto protect the wearer's hips and thigh's against damage that can resultfrom carrying and positioning pieces of reinforcing material, such asrebar rods, while still permitting generally unencumbered movement bythe wearer while wearing the waist supported structure 100.

[0066] The use of the waist supported structure 100 according to thepresent invention is illustrated in FIGS. 10-13. In general the waistsupported structure 100 is designed to be used by a construction worker,such as a rodman, who is engaged in the task of moving pieces of rebarrods from one location to another on a construction site. Typically, arodman carries a bundle of rebar rods 128 over his shoulder as shown inFIG. 10. Alternatively, the rodman may carry the bundle of rebar rods athis side, suit-case style. The rodman transports the bundle of rebarrods 128 to a location on the construction site that is to receive oneor more of the rebar rods 128. At this point, the rodman assumes aposture similar to the posture of the rodman shown in FIG. 11.Specifically, the rodman places one of his legs 218 forward and bendshis knee 220 such that one of his thighs 222 is substantially parallelto the ground. The opposite leg 224 is preferably positioned slightlybehind the back of the rodman so as to provide stability when the rodmanlowers the bundle of rebar 210 from his shoulder to his thigh 222 asshown in FIG. 12.

[0067] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, the bundle of rebar rods128 is preferably lowered onto one of the thigh protectors 110 at apoint where the center of mass of the rods 128 is positioned on theshield member 116 at a location that is directly over the reinforcingmember 118. In this manner, the reinforcing member 118 bears anddistributes a significant portion of the weight of the rebar therebyreducing the likelihood of bruising, pinching or injury to the thigh 222of the rodman as a result of the thighs bearing the weight of the bundleof rods 128. As discussed above, each thigh protector 110 is sized sothat its corresponding reinforcing member 118 is generally positionedsubstantially adjacent the interface between the rodman's thigh 222 andgroin. Positioning the bulk of the rods 128 at this point allows for thegreatest stability in handling and in supporting the rods.

[0068] Once the rodman has balanced the bundle of rebar 128 on one ofhis thighs 222 in the manner shown on FIG. 12, the rodman selects asingle rod 128A to shake loose out of the bundle of rods 128 and letfall to the ground in front of the rodman as shown in FIG. 13.Typically, the selected rod 128A is the rod that is located on theoutermost portion of the bundle 128, i.e. the rod 128A located closestto the rodman's knee 220. The selected rod 128A then slides along theshield member 116 until it reaches a point adjacent the rodman's knee220 where it falls onto the ground generally forward of the rodman'sfoot. Hence, the shield member 116 protects the rodman from injury andalso protects the underlying cloth of the rodman from damage as a resultof the rebar rod 128A sliding off of the rodman's thigh 222 and onto theground. Further, the rodman may resume the posture shown in FIG. 10 andtransport the bundle of rebar rods 128 to another location on theconstruction site that is to receive one or more of the rebar rods 128in the manner described above.

[0069] From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the waistsupported structure 100 of the preferred embodiment enables the rodmanto carry bundles of rebar to particular locations and then dropindividual rods of rebar onto the ground in a manner where thelikelihood injury to the rodman's thigh or damage to their clothing isreduced. In this embodiment, the combination of the shield member 116extending generally over the length of the rodman's thigh and thereinforcing member 118 being positioned at a location where the rodmanis to rest the bundle of rebar reduces the likelihood of injury to therodman's thigh or damage to the rodman's clothing.

[0070] Moreover, the configuration and attachment of the flexibleelastic straps 130 that circle the rodman's thigh at a locationimmediately adjacent the groin securely maintains the thigh protectors110 on the rodman's thigh in a manner that does not encumber walking,bending or other movement of the rodman during other tasks that heperforms on the construction site. Hence, the waist supported structure100 according to the present invention enables the rodman to comfortablymove about the construction site and still be able to transport rebarand deposit rebar at specific locations on the construction site withthe reduced risk of injury to himself and his clothing.

[0071] Although the foregoing invention has been described in terms ofcertain embodiments, other embodiments will become apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art, in view of the disclosure herein. Accordinglythe present invention is not intended to be limited by the recitation ofthe preferred embodiments, but is instead intended to be defined solelyby reference to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A waist supported structure for mounting a toolcarrier to carry tools at the waist of a wearer comprising: an upperportion having an outwardly directed surface adjacent the waist of awearer; at least one band portion attached at its opposite ends to theoutwardly directed surface, wherein the band is substantially parallelto and facing the outwardly directed surface to define a slottherebetween; and a tool carrier extending through the slot andreleasably attached to the at least one band portion.
 2. The waistsupported structure of claim 1, wherein the tool carrier comprises: anupper portion comprising: a top marginal portion rigidly affixed to anupper end of a flap forming a rigidly affixed juncture between the upperportion of the tool carrier and the flap, and a bottom marginal portionhaving a coupling means that forms a releasable interlocking connectionwith a coupling means that is attached to a bottom end of the flap; anda main portion having a tool carrying means attached thereto.
 3. Thewaist supported structure of claim 2, wherein when the tool carrier isattached to the at least one band portion, the band is confined betweenthe upper portion of the tool carrier and the flap.
 4. The waistsupported structure of claim 2, wherein when the tool carrier isattached to the at least one band portion, the upper portion of the toolcarrier is extended through the slot and the flap is extended over theband and releasably attached to the upper portion of the tool carrier.5. The waist supported structure of claim 2, wherein when the toolcarrier is attached to the at least one band portion, the upper portionof the tool carrier is disposed in the slot and adjacent to an innersurface of the band portion; the flap is disposed adjacent to an outersurface of the band portion; the rigidly affixed juncture between theupper portion of the tool carrier and the flap is disposed adjacent to afirst edge of the band portion; and the coupling means of the upperportion of the tool carrier is interlocked with the coupling means ofthe flap to form the releasable interlocking connection adjacent to asecond edge of the band portion.
 6. The waist supported structure ofclaim 2, wherein the tool carrying means is an elongated tool carryingmeans that is attached to the main portion of the tool carrier at aninclined position with respect to a horizontal axis of the tool carrier.7. The waist supported structure of claim 2, wherein the elongated toolcarrying means engages a pair of aligned brackets of a tool toreleasably secure the tool to the tool carrier, and wherein the alignedbrackets form a bracket axis that is inclined with respect to thehorizontal axis of the tool carrier when the elongated tool carryingmeans engages the pair of aligned brackets, such that a first of thepair of aligned brackets is disposed at a higher position than a secondof the pair of aligned brackets.
 8. The waist supported structure ofclaim 1, further comprising a first thigh protector that forms a portionof the outwardly directed surface, wherein the first thigh protectorextends from the wearer's waist to a position just above the wearer'sknee.
 9. The waist supported structure of claim 8, further comprising asecond thigh protector that forms a portion of the outwardly directedsurface, wherein the second thigh protector extends from the wearer'swaist to a position just above the wearer's knee.
 10. A waist supportedstructure for mounting a tool carrier to carry tools at the waist of awearer comprising: an upper portion having an outwardly directed surfaceadjacent the waist of a wearer; at least one band portion attached atits opposite ends to the outwardly directed surface, wherein the band issubstantially parallel to and facing the outwardly directed surface todefine a slot therebetween; a tool carrier extending through the slotand releasably attached to the at least one band portion; a first thighprotector and a second thigh protector that each form a portion of theoutwardly directed surface, wherein each thigh protector extends fromthe wearer's waist to a position just above the wearer's knee; and anattachment mechanism coupled to each thigh protector to retain eachthigh protector in front of a corresponding one of the wearer's thighs.11. The waist supported structure of claim 10, wherein the tool carriercomprises: an upper portion comprising: a top marginal portion rigidlyaffixed to an upper end of a flap forming a rigidly affixed juncturebetween the upper portion of the tool carrier and the flap, and a bottommarginal portion having a coupling means that forms a releasableinterlocking connection with a coupling means that is attached to abottom end of the flap; and a main portion having a tool carrying meansattached thereto.
 12. The waist supported structure of claim 11, whereinwhen the tool carrier is attached to the at least one band portion, theband is confined between the upper portion of the tool carrier and theflap.
 13. The waist supported structure of claim 11, wherein when thetool carrier is attached to the at least one band portion, the upperportion of the tool carrier is extended through the slot and the flap isextended over the band and releasably attached to the upper portion ofthe tool carrier.
 14. The waist supported structure of claim 11, whereinwhen the tool carrier is attached to the at least one band portion, theupper portion of the tool carrier is disposed in the slot and adjacentto an inner surface of the band portion; the flap is disposed adjacentto an outer surface of the band portion; the rigidly affixed juncturebetween the upper portion of the tool carrier and the flap is disposedadjacent to a first edge of the band portion; and the coupling means ofthe upper portion of the tool carrier is interlocked with the couplingmeans of the flap to form the releasable interlocking connectionadjacent to a second edge of the band portion.
 15. The waist supportedstructure of claim 11, wherein the tool carrying means is an elongatedtool carrying means that is attached to the main portion of the toolcarrier at an inclined position with respect to a horizontal axis of thetool carrier.
 16. The waist supported structure of claim 11, wherein theelongated tool carrying means engages a pair of aligned brackets of atool to releasably secure the tool to the tool carrier, and wherein thealigned brackets form a bracket axis that is inclined with respect tothe horizontal axis of the tool carrier when the elongated tool carryingmeans engages the pair of aligned brackets, such that a first of thepair of aligned brackets is disposed at a higher position than a secondof the pair of aligned brackets.
 17. The waist supported structure ofclaim 10, wherein the first thigh protector comprises: a first shieldmember sized so as to cover a first thigh of the wearer, wherein thefirst shield member comprises a planar piece of flexible material thatis adapted to reduce injury to the wearer's first thigh and clothes as aresult of positioning a bundle of reinforcing bars on the wearer's firstthigh and sliding a selected one of the bundle of reinforcing bars alongat least a portion of the first shield member so as to fall to theground; and a first reinforcing member attached to the first shieldmember at a location selected so as to be adjacent the interface betweenthe wearer's first thigh and the wearer's groin, wherein the firstreinforcing member comprises a curved rigid member that is attached to aside of the shield member that is positioned adjacent the wearer's firstthigh so that the weight of the bundle of rods, when balanced on thewearer's first thigh, is distributed by the reinforcing member so as toreduce the likelihood of injury occurring to the wearer's first thighwhen the bundle of rods is balanced thereon.
 18. The waist supportedstructure of claim 17, wherein the second thigh protector comprises: asecond shield member sized so as to cover a second thigh of the wearer,wherein the second shield member comprises a planar piece of flexiblematerial that is adapted to reduce injury to the wearer's second thighand clothes as a result of positioning a bundle of reinforcing bars onthe wearer's second thigh and sliding a selected one of the bundle ofreinforcing bars along at least a portion of the second shield member soas to fall to the ground; and a second reinforcing member attached tothe second shield member at a location selected so as to be adjacent theinterface between the wearer's second thigh and the wearer's groin,wherein the second reinforcing member comprises a curved rigid memberthat is attached to a side of the shield member that is positionedadjacent the wearer's second thigh so that the weight of the bundle ofrods, when balanced on the wearer's second thigh, is distributed by thereinforcing member so as to reduce the likelihood of injury occurring tothe wearer's second thigh when the bundle of rods is balanced thereon.19. The waist supported structure of claim 18, wherein each attachmentmechanism is attached to a corresponding one of the reinforcing membersso as to retain each reinforcing member in the desired location withrespect to a corresponding one of the wearer's thighs, wherein eachattachment mechanism comprises an adjustable buckle assembly that isattached to a corresponding one of the reinforcing members and isadapted to extend around a corresponding one of the wearer's thighs soas to encircle the corresponding one of the wearer's thighs and retaineach thigh protector on the front of the corresponding one of thewearer's thighs.
 20. The waist supported structure of claim 10, whereinthe first thigh protector includes a first hip protector that extendslaterally outward from the first thigh protector and is sized to cover afirst hip of the wearer.
 21. The waist supported structure of claim 20,wherein the second thigh protector includes a second hip protector thatextends laterally outward from the second thigh protector and is sizedto cover a second hip of the wearer.